The present disclosure relates to an image forming system in which an image forming apparatus is monitored via a server, and to a monitoring method for such an image forming system.
A typical monitoring device is known that monitors the status of an image forming apparatus and, on detecting a fault in it, notifies its administrator of the fault. The typical monitoring device generates a message by embedding a message template with a character string such as a model name; it also transmits the generated message to a terminal that the administrator uses. The terminal then displays a message comprising the character string. The administrator is thus notified of the fault.
Recently, the image forming apparatus including a multifunction peripheral (MFP) has high functionality. As image forming apparatuses become increasingly versatile, they suffer ever more various faults. Thus, there is a limit to exactly notifying an administrator of a fault in an image forming apparatus by sole use of a message generated based on a message template.
As an alternative to a method of notifying a fault by use of a message generated based on a message template, according to one typical technique, the very panel image that is being displayed on a display of an image forming apparatus is acquired from it, and the acquired panel image is displayed before an administrator. However, while this typical technique provides the advantage of allowing the administrator an intuitive, visual grasp of a fault in the image forming apparatus, it suffers from a disadvantage of posing a load on network communication because of the large data size of panel images.